Make The Progressive Window More Progressive

by: Chris Bowers

Sat May 31, 2008 at 20:46

( - promoted by Daniel De Groot)

Back on Wednesday, I argued that, if we do well enough in the 2008 elections, our once in a generation opportunity for real progressive change at the federal level will have arrived.

Of course, even if we do pull off a 75+ seat majority in the House, 60 seats in the Senate, and also win the White House this year, the key term to emphasize in the previous sentence is that this is still only an opportunity. Just having the these large majorities does not guarantee that good, progressive legislation will be passed to address the many huge problems we face. Will we go far enough to fix our climate change problems? Our food problems? Our health care problems? Our education problems? Our cradle to prison superhighway? Our housing problems? We are facing numerous major crises as a nation, and there is no guarantee that the still largely New Democratic dominated Democratic caucuses will go far enough to fix these problems.

One way to make sure that the upcoming progressive governing window will go far enough is to elect Ed Fallon to Congress, or at least push Leonard Boswell to the brink of defeat. Primary campaigns like these are just about the only way we progressives can hold our more conservative members of Congress accountable, and change their voting behavior for the better. For example, the only two Democratic votes we flipped on Iraq in 2007 came from Democrats who faced progressive primary challenges.

As the primary season winds down, Ed Fallon's progressive challenge to Leonard Boswell in the Iowa 3rd is one of our last chances to influence the behavior of the massive, incoming Democratic majorities in Congress. Let's make it count. Already, we are at 70 82 donors for Ed Fallon, and we can push that up to 100. Donate to Ed Fallon today, and build a progressive governing majority in D.C.

Chris Bowers :: Make The Progressive Window More Progressive

Tags: Ed Fallon, Leonard Boswell, Democrats, primary campaigns, IA-03, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

Make The Progressive Window More Progressive | 4 comments

John Edwards for VP (0.00 / 0)

For help on downticket races, for a supermajority, for the most progressive white house feasible.

by: danthrax @ Fri May 30, 2008 at 16:25:57 PM CDT

And Don't Forget Kevin Miskell IA-03 (4.00 / 1)

Here's his page:

Kevin Miskell. He and Fallon see eye to eye on many issues.

by: Benny @ Fri May 30, 2008 at 16:30:12 PM CDT

Reality Therapy (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate the return to earth from Planet Ecstasy (or wherever the previous posting emanated from). Even so, I would argue that an adjustment of the meds is still in order. In particular, it needs to be understood that a Democratic majority will not only "not guarantee that good, progressive legislation will be passed", it seems unlikely that anything beyond small "nudges" to the status quo will emerge. You don't have to make my word for what is likely in store. The term comes from John Cassidy's article on Obama's economics in the current issue of NYRB.

http://www.nybooks.com/article...

To increase the relatively small likelihood that a serious left realignment will occur, beyond what the DP centrists and Obama will permit, I agree with you that more Fallons and fewer Boswells are definitely part of the equation.

The part continually left out is the absolutely essential role for independent progressive organizing outside the Democratic Party. On this score, it is noteable that the list of "progressive legislation" makes no mention of Iraq, military intervention, or defense budgets. Presumably this constitutes a tacit recognition that an Obama administration will almost certainly offer nothing positive in these respects, nor will a Democratic Congress and Senate up to its neck in contributions from arms manufacturers and defense contractors.

But there is a mechanism to increase the chance that there will be some movement at least in Iraq, and that's with the re-emergence of an anti-war protest movement, seriously committed to creating the requisite level of social and economic disruption required for policy makers to take notice and respond with action.

There are increasing signs that this is taking shape.

We can either choose to support it or be an obstacle to what is probably the decisive factor "transformational politics" actually emerging over the next decade in Washington.

by: John Halle @ Fri May 30, 2008 at 16:46:27 PM CDT

The President sets the agenda (0.00 / 0)

not Open Left. If Obama doesn't feel like governing as a progressive--and I'm pretty sure he doesn't--universal health care will go down hard, to the delight of the beltway media.

In Obama Land, unity trumps policy. That's how he plans to get elected and re-elected.

by: Upstate Dem @ Fri May 30, 2008 at 19:04:49 PM CDT